Tag 47 Surf Highway 45

Around 3 o'clock in the morning, there was a knock on the VW bus door. It was my wake-up call! Today we are heading to the summit, and two Swiss women have the same goal and are fit enough for it.

Contrary to the usual mountaineering method here, which is to bring as much as possible, preferably even half of the apartment 😂 - only to struggle with 20 kilos and take three days to reach the top - we as Team Europe have decided to go with the quick climbing method. Only the absolutely necessary safety equipment is brought along. Excellent shoes, very good pants and jackets, and in the backpack, only two liters of coconut water and a bit of safety equipment and a 40m rope. No camera - just cell phones, no four-course meal but two energy bars. This decision based on our experience was absolutely correct.

We make good progress, it's still dark but the headlamps are bright enough to find the way at any time. The snowfields are easy to cross. The clouds are getting denser, and we are moving twice as fast as the official estimates. Until the wind becomes extremely gusty and torrential rain starts. The decision to turn back is unanimous and quick. At the snowfields, the wind almost blows us out of our shoes, but thanks to the rope, we manage to cross safely. Back at the VW bus around ten o'clock. There's coffee there to warm up. In the afternoon, I go for a short walk that should take two hours, but I am back after one hour. About 200 meters before reaching the VW bus, it starts pouring rain again and fog sets in. After getting wet for the second time today, running out of water in the VW bus, and all the batteries and power banks being empty, and desperately needing a shower and some sun, I drive to New Plymouth and from there to Surf Highway 45. The contrast is incredibly large. It's summer weather, and on Highway 45, it's customary to have at least two surfboards on the roof. I opt for the simple option and stay at Oakura Beach, one of the top surf and bathing beaches. Today, it's just a bit of bodyboarding for me. A huge amount of fun after many years of not doing it. I bought a very simple board for only €6 from the Warehouse on the way here. It would have been cool to strap it to the roof, but I only had one laundry bag, and I didn't know if that would hold 😂. But first, I go for a swim, drying my wet shoes and clothes from the mountain tour in the warm summer sun at the same time. Some clouds move in in the afternoon, but that's good, otherwise the risk of sunburn increases again.

After bodyboarding, I'm relatively frozen, and the showers at the campsite are a highlight. There's even music playing. The hits from the 80s are still popular here, everything is a bit retro. When I catch myself singing loudly to John Farnham's "The Voice" in the shower and suddenly everyone in the neighboring showers starts singing along 😂, I once again know why this trip is absolutely amazing!

In the evening, it's time for business. There's a T1 bus in front of me at the campsite, nicely restored but not perfect. I have a little conversation and learn a bit about its history. We don't come to an agreement, but it was still a nice conversation. So, I continue searching...

For dinner, it's chicken part 2, and after a great day of sports, I fall asleep with the VW bus door open, listening to the sound of the waves. Somewhere, someone is playing the guitar very softly, such a great summer feeling here.